Under the Peach Tree
by lizardcookie
Summary: The Weasley brothers are confronted with the hard truth when George spots something outside his window he wasn't intended to see.


Fred's funeral had been immediately after the Battle. _He lived a short life, _they said_, that was cut by tragedy. It had been a good life, _they said_, filled by laughter and joy. He had died fighting for a cause that was worth dying for, _they said_. He will be missed. _

They didn't understand.

George Weasley was alone in the twins', his, room. Alone, as usual. He preferred this over being constantly watched with a pitying look, or accidently catching his reflection on a surface and seeing the face of Fred staring back. George couldn't even find comfort in the kitchen, where Fred's hand on the clock was stuck on 'Mortal Peril' and his own never wandered from 'Lost.' It was maddening and ultimately inescapable. George sat up from his position on the bed, becoming agitated by his own thoughts and moved towards the window.

It was a beautiful day outside, despite everything that had happened. He even noticed Harry and Ginny basking in the sunlight in the orchard. It was nice that they were such close friends, George realized as he watched their figures. He had noticed that while Ron and Hermione had each other to lean on (and thank Merlin that had finally happened), Harry and Ginny were left together. George thought it odd that as friends, they held onto each other rather closely and quite often, but hey, whatever helped them cope. He glanced back through the window before turning to return to his bed when he noticed something odd outside.

_Why in the name of Merlin's left bollock_ was Harry pushing Ginny against the tree… and snogging her.

George blinked. And blinked again. That was Harry, whom he considered a brother, pinning his sister against a tree trunk with her legs intertwined with his. What kind of sick, alternate universe did this window show? He knew that Ginny had fancied Harry, but that was ages ago! And since when did Harry think it was alright to just take advantage of his situation here as surrogate son? George found that his brain had gone a bit fuzzy.

"George, mum wanted me to—" Charlie said as he poked his head in the room, but cut off his sentence as he noticed his brother looking at the window with a slightly green expression as if he were going to be sick. "What's up?"

Charlie had walked over to the window and stared for a second. "Sweet hyppogriffs, what-is that- wait a second, how?" Rage had started to build in the dragon trainer's mind. "Oh, Potter's in for a surprise."

"Charlie! Did you take my razor again? I can't find it and-" The eldest Weasley brother called, and as he drew nearer to George's room he noticed the anger evident in their faces at whatever was outside the window. Bill walked over in confusion until his eyes landed on the tangled mess of limbs below, a mane of red hair belonging to Ginny now covering a scraggly body that was pinned beneath her—it had seemed that the snogging pair has abandoned the tree and opted for the ground now. Bill glared at the window.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Too long." George had finally gotten up from his seat at the window, cracking his knuckles as he did so. "Fetch Percy, will you, brother? Ron's in the kitchen, he has to know about this."

Bill nodded as he left the room to get Percy in on what was about to become a "Hex Potter and scold Ginny at all costs" mission. George and Charlie headed down the flight of stairs and into the kitchen at a battle march to find Ron and Hermione sitting at the kitchen table reading over pamphlets from the Australian Ministry of Magic.

"What's going on?" Ron questioned, noticing the grim looks of determination on George, Charlie, and soon Bill and Percy's faces before him. Hermione had paused her rapid note taking to stare at the mass of rather angry red haired men.

George had patience enough to explain to Ron the situation—as Harry's supposed best mate, he expected Ron to take the news quite harshly. "Ginny. Harry. Peach tree. Compromising position."

"Oh." Ron had all but spluttered out. "That."

This forced nonchalance did not bode well with either George, Charlie, Bill, or Percy as each brother whipped their heads back towards the youngest brother still sitting at the table, ears red.

"Oh, _that?That _is Harry feeling up our little sister!" Charlie yelled out, pointing towards the back door that the pack had been heading. Percy held his nose and closed his eyes as if he were going to be sick by what Charlie had said.

"Mental images, Charlie. Ugh."

"Hey, _we_ actually saw it." George had turned back towards the door and hunched his shoulders forward, ready for action. "C'mon Ron, we're planning on putting a Permanent Sticking Charm on Harry's trousers."

The entire situation was a bit comical for Hermione, it seemed, as a burst of laughter erupted from her. Still laughing and ignoring the glares from the Weasleys, Hermione collected her work from the table. "This is too much." She said between giggles. "I'm going upstairs, tell me when you boys are finished being prats." With that as her goodbye, Hermione continued to laugh as she walked out the kitchen, snorting as she mumbled _Permanent Sticking Charm_ under her breath.

Bill now turned to look at Ron.

"You should be pissed." He said simply.

"Er, well, I'm a bit miffed, to be honest." Ron spoke as he rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "But it's not like we can do anything."

"Can't do anything? Ron, did you understand that your best mate is outside doing unspeakable things to our little sister?" George was staring at Ron as if he were the daftest being to ever grace the earth.

Ron, however, simply returned the look. "You don't know?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Ron?" Percy for all of his brains couldn't follow what Ron was saying.

"Harry and Ginny got back together."

There was a silence in the kitchen as the news sunk in.

"Back? Together?" Charlie's brain seemed reluctant to process this bit of information.

George grasped the idea first.

"That means that they were once… Sweet Merlin, Ron, why didn't you tell us Ginny was going out with Harry?" George focused his glare at Ron now instead of the back door and the peach tree beyond it.

"Well, it was over by the end of our sixth year, wasn't it?" Ron stated, putting his arms up dismissively. "Broke it off at Dumbledore's funeral… though that didn't stop Harry from snogging her over the summer. They got back together after the Battle, I can't believe you didn't know this."

"Well, Ron, it isn't because of _your_ great sharing skills." It was Bill's turn to glare.

"How come they broke up?" Percy questioned. This had happened during his, ahem, estrangement from the family, so he attributed his lack of understanding to this fact. "And why would they get back together?"

"Horcrux Hunt, mate," came the simple answer. "Harry ended it for Ginny's own good. Now nothing's in the way for them. Well, except for an army of older brothers." Ron smirked at each one of them in turn.

"Why are you so calm about this?" George stared at Ron. It wasn't normal for this kind of chill to come from Ron, especially when it came to Ginny and her boyfriends.

"Because," sighed Ron, rubbing his eyes, "what other choice do we have? They're happy being together, simple as that. It's tough to get Harry that happy and content, and imagine Ginny's wrath if the lot of you go barging out there. Plus, she's found herself a bloke that I can't find a fault in. Think about it." Ron looked up at room at large. "Who would be better?"

None of the brothers could find an answer to Ron's question.

"You're right." Muttered Charlie at last. "But I still don't like it."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" George was smiling, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. The five brothers ascended the stairs together.

And that conversation was the very reason why, as Harry and Ginny watched the sun go down over the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, the peaches on the tree came crashing down at an alarming rate and number until the couple was forced from the sanctuary of their favorite spot, and the reason why, as he was ready to crawl into bed that night, Harry Potter found a rather crude drawing of a pair of trousers with the words "Permanent Sticking Charm" scribbled in at the bottom.


End file.
